I. ˈtəch, dial ˈtech or ˈtich verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle English tochen, touchen, from Old French tochier, tuchier, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin toccare to knock, strike, strike a bell, touch, of imitative origin
transitive verb
1.
a. : to bring a bodily part briefly into contact with so as to feel
touching the delicate petals with gentle fingers
b. : to perceive or experience through the tactile sense
afraid to touch a hot iron
touched his face wonderingly with exploring fingertips
c. : to put one's fingers to (the hat or the forelock) as a salute or a sign of deference
2. : to strike or push lightly : extend the hand or foot or an implement so as to reach, nudge, stir up, inspect, arouse
if you touch the snake he will strike
turned as a hand touched his shoulder
touched the horse with the whip
3.
a. : to examine by touching or feeling with the fingers : palpate
b. : to lay hands upon (one afflicted with scrofula) — compare king's evil
4.
a. archaic : to play on (a stringed instrument)
angels bending … to touch their harps of gold — E.H.Sears
b. archaic : to perform (a melody) by playing or singing
5.
a. : to take into the hands or mouth : make use of — used chiefly with expressed or implied negative
never touches alcohol in any form
hardly touched his dinner
had never touched a card before then
hasn't touched the piano since his wife's death
b. : to put hands upon in any way or in any degree : disturb or affect by handling — used chiefly with expressed or implied negative
your things haven't been touched while you were away
don't touch anything before the police come
c. : to have sexual intercourse with — used chiefly with real or implied negative
doubt if he had ever touched a woman before his marriage
d. : to lay violent hands on : commit violence upon — used chiefly with expressed or implied negative
swears he never touched the child
6. : to have to do with : concern oneself with : meddle with — used chiefly with expressed or implied negative
strictly his affair, I wouldn't touch it for anything
7.
a. : to gain the use of : get access to
unable to touch the capital of the estate
b. slang : pick up : steal
8.
a. obsolete : to tamper with : bribe
b. : to rob by swindling : cheat
c. : pick the pocket of
touched him for his watch
d. : to induce to give or lend
touched him for ten dollars
9.
a. : to cause to be briefly and lightly in contact or conjunction with something
touched his hand to his cap
touched his spurs to his horse
solemnly raised and touched glasses
touched gloves with his opponent to start the last round
b. : to lay the scepter upon (an act of parliament) as a sign of royal assent
c. : to apply lightly to : spread thinly on
touch a pimple with iodine
10.
a.
(1) : to meet without overlapping or penetrating : be or become contiguous or adjacent to : impinge upon : adjoin
where the edges of the figure touch the border
(2) : to get to : reach
the speedometer needle touched 80
b. : to be tangent to
c. : to come up to in quality or value : compare with — used usually with a negative
nothing can touch that cloth for durability
not a fighter in his weight division to touch him
d. : to sail as close to (the wind) as possible
11.
a. : to deal with or treat of : handle
everything he touches becomes clearer than before
pamphlets touching nearly every aspect of rural life
b. : to make allusion or slight mention of : speak or tell of in passing
touched so many topics that only a confused impression remained at the end
12. : to relate to : affect the interest of : concern
alert to anything that touched his personal honor
their profession touches our national defense very closely — Vannevar Bush
13.
a. : to leave a mark or impression on : make signs of wear, use, or slight damage on — used chiefly with a negative
so hard no ordinary cutter will touch it
his war experiences seem not to have touched him at all
b. obsolete : magnetize
c. : to harm slightly by or as if by contagion, contamination, or blight : taint, blemish, sour, spoil in a slight degree
fruit touched by frost
this horse is touched in the wind
d. : to give a delicate tint, line, or expression to
a smile touched her lips
admiration faintly touched with envy
14.
a. : to test the purity of (as gold) with a touchstone : assay , try
b. : to stamp or mark (as gold, silver) after an official assay
15.
a. : to draw or delineate with light strokes
the lines though touched but faintly are drawn right — Alexander Pope
b. : to improve or modify by or as if by light strokes : touch up
16. : to reach the heart or secret of : guess at correctly : fathom
there you touched the life of our design — Shakespeare
17.
a. : to hurt the feelings of : wound , sting
the insult touched him to the quick
b. : to shame or discomfit by hitting the truth
his face hardened, the last remark had touched him on a sore spot
c. : to move to sympathetic feeling (as pity, gratitude, remorse, tenderness)
touched by the loyalty of his friends
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to feel something with a body part (as the hand or foot)
b. : to lay hand or finger on a person to cure disease (as scrofula)
he touched for the king's evil
2.
a. : to be in such a position that no space exists between : be in contact
two spheres can touch only at points
sat with their heads nearly touching
b. : to be next to another suit in rank of playing cards
diamonds touch hearts
diamonds and clubs are touching suits
3.
a. : to come close : approach : verge
his actions touch on treason
b. of a sail : to turn so close to the wind that the weather leech shakes
keep the royals touching
4. : to have a bearing : relate , pertain — used with on or upon
5.
a. : to make a brief or incidental stop on shore during a trip by water — used usually with at
touched at several ports on the return voyage
b. : to treat a topic in a brief or casual manner — used with on or upon
touched upon many points without enlarging upon any of them
6. : to improve or modify something with slight strokes or alterations : retouch
endlessly touching and retouching before he was satisfied with the picture
Synonyms: see affect , match
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- touch and go
- touch bottom
- touch elbows
- touch wood
II. noun
( -es )
Etymology: partly from Middle English touche, from Old French, from tochier, tuchier to touch; partly from touch (I)
1.
a. : a light stroke, tap, or push
ready to fall at a touch
b. : a light stroke of wit or satire : knock , dig
c. : the contact of a fencer's point or blade against the opponent's target that scores a point
2.
a. : the act or fact of touching, feeling, striking lightly, or coming in contact
saluted with a touch to his cap
b. : palpation
3. : the sense by which pressure or traction exerted on the skin or mucous membrane is perceived : the tactile sense as distinguished from the pain, temperature, and kinesthetic senses
4. : mental or moral sensitiveness, responsiveness, or tact
she has a wonderful touch in dealing with children
our high task to use our power with a sure hand and a steady touch — A.E.Stevenson b. 1900
a skilled writer but lacking the popular touch
5. : a specified sensation conveyed through the tactile receptors : feel
the velvety touch of a fabric
6.
a. : the act of rubbing gold or silver on a touchstone to test its quality
b. : the quality or degree of fineness of metal so tested
c. : the official stamp upon a tested metal of standard quality
d. : touchmark
e. archaic : tested or proven quality or character
friends of noble touch — Shakespeare
7.
a. obsolete : touchstone 1
b. : test , trial — used chiefly in the phrase put to the touch
8.
a. : a visible effect : stamp , mark
touch of the tropical sun
woman with what we used to call the touch of good breeding upon her — Morris Markey
b. : weakness , defect
a touch in his wits
one touch of nature makes the whole world kin — Shakespeare
c. obsolete : injury to reputation : reproach , blame
9. : something slight of its kind: as
a. : a light attack
touch of fever
b. : a small quantity : trace , dash
touch of spring in the air
touch of garlic in the salad
a touch of unreality about the whole affair
c. : a transient emotion : a flash of feeling
momentary touch of compunction
d. archaic : a brief mention, hint, or reminder
e. : a near approach : a close call
beaten in the … backstroke championships by a mere touch — Kate Kerry
f. : bit , little — used adverbially with a
as though she had said something ridiculous and a touch discreditable — R.V.Cassill
aimed a touch too low and missed
10. archaic : agreement , covenant — used in the phrase to keep touch
11.
a. archaic : the playing of an instrument (as a lute or piano) with the fingers ; also : musical notes or strains so produced
with sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ears — Shakespeare
b. : a manner or method of touching or striking especially the keys of a keyboard instrument
requiring a staccato touch
also : one's characteristic style in striking keys
have a firm touch
c. : particular or characteristic action of a keyboard instrument with reference to the resistance of its keys to pressure
a piano with a stiff touch
typewriter with a light touch
12. : a set of changes in change ringing less than the total number possible or less than a peal
13. : a light or delicate stroke in creating or improving an artistic composition : an effective or touching-up detail
that was a vivid touch in his last story
the work is complete except for the finishing touches
hotel service with a personal touch
14. : distinctive manner or method
this room needs a woman's touch
: characteristic skill of a workman or artist in the manipulation of his instruments or materials
the billiard player had lost his touch
the painting shows the touch of a master
15. : a characteristic or distinguishing trait or quality
16.
a. slang : an act of borrowing, swindling, or stealing
beggar making his touch
: theft
b. : a victim of borrowing or swindling
recognized him early as a soft touch for a loan — John Lardner
17. slang
a. : a method of inducing someone to buy or to accept a deal
b. : something that will sell at a named price
c. : a sale effected by dubious means
18. : the state or fact of being in contact or communication
lost touch with the other boats in the fog
keeping in touch with distant relations
kept in close touch with headquarters by phone
out of touch with modern methods
19. : tag III 1
20. : the broadest part of a plank worked top and butt : the angles of the stern timbers at the counters of a ship
21. : the area outside of the sidelines in soccer or outside of and including the touchlines in rugby — used usually with in or into
kicked the ball into touch
thrown in by a player standing in touch
III. verb
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- touch base